Appliance sales are down all over the US… except for deep freezes. I get that. Man, I’d LOVE a deep freeze. Our freezer is always full. I wonder if we could put it in our extra spot in the car park??

I was in a health store in Newtown recently when I noticed they had some ENVIROSAX bags. I’d read about them online, and they were only about $7. So I got this one! They roll up very tiny so I’ve been carrying it in my handbag every day. I LOVE IT. I’ve used it about ten times now! I even carried my big orange pumpkin home from Paddy’s in it last weekend. It’s very spacious and strong. The handles are the perfect length too; I can sling it over my shoulder or hold it by the handles and not have it drag on the ground. If you need a reusable shopping bag, I highly recommend them.

More shocking POOP ICE CREAM revelations in today’s Daily Telegraph:

• They’re calling it “Gelatigate”. They also refer to the suburb (on their front page) as “Poogee Bay.”
• “Mr Williams also confirmed that a staff member had tasted the substance in question and agreed it was not chocolate sorbet.” (Italics mine.) EWWWWWW!
• “…the hotel’s head chef resigned after he personally smelled the sample which Steve and Jessica Whyte took home to their freezer.” EWWWWWW! And damning.
• “They’ve served us poo. There’s nothing else that it can be,” Mrs Elliott said after taking a whiff of Mrs Whyte’s napkin. “I wish I can tell you it was something else but I can’t, it absolutely stunk.” Then why in the world did her friend EAT IT?

I should’ve known the Telegraph would report all the really ucky bits. And their reader comments are (unintentionally, I’m sure) hilarious…

Neat! Mimzilla saw the Yoda costume I knitted for Alexander last year and made her own! Nice job, mimzilla.

Stress and Itchiness
“Stress may make you itch.” The Snook just sent me that link. In the past six months my skin has just been crazy. I thought for a while I might be developing some sort of allergy, because I kept breaking out in itchy red welts. There doesn’t seem to be any pattern though, and Dr. Chin (and Emily) both diagnosed a random case of “dermatitis”. It certainly does seem to have a stress component though. Great. So on top of non-specific stress-related stomach pain, I also have skin irritation. I really need to learn to meditate or something.

Vivaldi at the Opera House
Thanks to the generous Kate, the Snook and I headed to the Opera House tonight to see Europa Galante performing Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons” (along with some other Baroque pieces). The group of 14 musicans are known for performing on period instruments, including a mandolin and a harpsichord. It was fascinating. Look, I’m not a big classical music person. I’ve been to the Concert Hall a few times, but it’s always for things involving Lord of the Rings or Bugs Bunny or videogames. That said, I really honestly enjoyed myself tonight. A good part of that was recognizing the music, I’m sure, but also it was impossible not to get caught up in the passion these guys had for it. Most of them were standing throughout the performance, so when they were really going at it during a vigorous passage it was almost like they were dancing (or even head-banging). The harpsichord gave me shivers with its first note; it felt like we were listening to Music for Kings and Queens. (I did feel bad that the player had to sit with her back towards us throughout the performance!) During the intermission, the Snook and I talked about why certain pieces of music evoke pictures in your head. Why should this melody feel suspenseful and anxious, while that one feels light and happy? I don’t know enough about music theory and the human brain. It was sure fun though.

OH! But people suck. The audience is always what ruins these things for me. Look, if you have a cough, STAY HOME. If you want to take 50 pictures with your ginormous digital SLR, GET A PRESS PASS. (The bright LCD of the girl next to me drove me crazy.) Don’t eat candy out of rustling plastic bags. Don’t come in 15 minutes late and clomp to your seat. Don’t rush for the exits the second the final piece ends, and definitely don’t try to slink back in once they start up an encore. And for the love of God, TURN OFF YOUR MOBILE PHONE. ARGH. They really should hand out etiquette leaflets at these things.

Okay, is anyone else both completely horrified yet somehow also fascinated by the Poop Ice Cream story? IT’S SO GROSS. And what the hell does Kevin Bacon have to do with it? (Is the lawyer going for some sort of Chewbacca defense?)

Cookies. I’m looking for a PLAIN crispy chocolate cookie, similar to the crunchy bit inside a Tim Tam. Anybody know of a storebought brand that can be found in Sydney? (G/Polliwogs were the closest thing we could find, but I’d rather not have pictures on them if I can.) Or I’ll even take a recipe if that’s all I can get. Any ideas?

FLUFF. That’s pretty much exactly what I imagine the cupboard over at Eileen‘s and Erin Fair’s apartment looks like.